Wild mushroom soup

My love affair with soups began at the ripe old age of well, forever. As far back as I can remember, I’ve been fed soups in some form or the other. Growing up, chicken noodle soup was our standard Friday night dinner, with some warm, crusty bread and a side salad. Holiday season was granny’s delicious chicken dumpling soup. Post-school dinners were grilled cheese sandwiches with a hot bowl of tomato soup. Over the years, my love for soups has stayed strong. Tomato soups were no longer just tomato soups, no. There was tomato-bacon soup, roasted tomato soup with homemade croutons…you get the drift. What I’m trying to get at is: I love soup. And I love this delicious, creamy wild mushroom soup. The soup will warm you up, right to your very core, making this an excellent choice for a cold, winter night.

Method:

In large saucepan, sauté leeks, shallots and garlic in butter and oil until soft, stirring frequently (about 5 minutes).

Add wild mushrooms and stir over a medium heat until they begin to soften. Add beef stock and bring to a boil. Add the porcini, soaking liquid, thyme and salt and pepper. Lower the heat, half cover the pan and simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour about 3/4 of the soup into a food processor and blend until smooth. Combine with remaining soup, add heavy cream and heat through. Check the consistency, adding more stock or water if the soup is too thick. Add 3 caps of Bushmills Original Irish Whiskey. Season to taste. Serve hot, garnished with sprigs of fresh thyme and some fresh cream.